Lost Kittens
by Riisha
Summary: YAOI Post-Glühen, Side B AU. A lost member of Weiss finds his path, and goes on a difficult mission to collect two lost kittens and bring them back home.
1. Prologue

First warning… For sure, the next chapter will be out… possibly two to three months from now. This is mostly an experiment to see the response I'd get. However, if I get enough of the good response, I'll think about hurrying up the first chapter and so on. 

Second warning… The names of the members of Kryptonbrand may possibly not be accurate. I got the names from a website that is translating the manga and the translator herself is saying that she doesn't know if those are the real names. Once I get the right ones, I will make the proper corrections.

This fic is unlike my others… It is sort of… the style is mine, etc… but there are major differences (like less humor). 

But this fic couldn't help but happen. Shiiru-sama and I really, really wanted to make a Side B fic after I told her the rumors about the end of Glühen. Then when she confirmed these rumors through very reliable sources, the depression and anxiety hurried the release of this fic.

Let us get some things straight first though. I will not do any Glühen bashing in this fic. I fully recognize its existence, as well as the existence of the OAV's, the Dramatic Precious series, and Fight Fire with Fire. In fact, I am one of the few people who actually _like_ Glühen. I acknowledge the changes to each character with open arms. In fact, I actually _like some of them._

Except Yohji's ending… Yohji's was TOO farfetched…

Further Warnings: Yaoi, Gluhen spoilers and Side B spoilers.. DUH… It would be good if you knew about these two segments of the LONG Weiss arc before you read this. Also possible mentions of Dramatic Precious. Pairings… Really.. You guys should know me by now…

Disclaimer: Weiss ain't mine. If it was, Glühen would've ended differently and Side B wouldn't be missing Omi and Yohji. *hacks away at Koyasu with an unbent paperclip* Also, my favorite match would be a canon couple instead of very, very obvious implications. 

I wish I could own Omi, Ken, and as of lately, Yuki *squeals with joy* but I really don't. 

**Lost Kittens**

_Prologue_

It had been a mission with the other members of Kryptonbrand. It was a standard mission really. Get in, kill the targets, get out.

Aya had found himself on a high platform, trying to get to a target.

Ken was down below, fighting off a band of bodyguards by himself. Typical. Ever since he had met Ayame and Azami, Ken had gotten better and better. He no longer aching to kill, but still he was terrifying for his targets when he was in killing mode.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chloe wielding a rose for a weapon. Onlookers might have laughed at the sight, but little did they know of the deadly stiletto concealed within. Most enemies probably made a mistake of misjudging what they were dealing with.

Free and Michel had just come out of their pose and had begun slicing through the next wave. Free sliced through the front, using the singauta to both shield himself and attack his enemies. Michel was brandishing a long whip, its sound cracking through the turmoil, picking through the ones Free had left. 

Aya heard Yuki on his radio communicator, yelling something, maybe a warning to him, or a cry to the others

It was too late. He had barely responded, only to be knocked off the platform by some bodyguard.

_So this is how it ends…_

Time always seemed to slow down when he was dying. He had been stabbed, shot, sliced through, and now he was falling to his doom.

He knew the others couldn't help. He wasn't even sure if they had noticed.

Aya closed his eyes softly. 

Oh, the irony of it all. He was finally going to die. During a simple routine mission no less. Fierce battles and near-death situations, he had faced. With each, he had expected to  finally find himself in his the hell of the afterlife, yet he had come out every time, injured but alive.

And now, it was all going to end so easily. 

Not that he didn't welcome death. He had expected death to claim him sooner than this. Yet, at every instance he was on the brink, almost to be swallowed by darkness, something intervened. Mostly in the form of a person. 

He wondered where he would go. He knew that no heaven would accept him. With his wrongs, he even doubted that hell would welcome him either. 

Wherever he was going, he suspected that he was going to see Shion… and Kikyou… both welcoming him with bright smirks and open arms.

He chuckled bitterly, wondering if he would see the spirits of Omi and Yohji. They were practically dead after all, with Omi having claimed his Takatori name, Tsukiyono Omi might as well have died. And also what had happened to Yohji… Yohji was also dead to them, and they didn't even exist to him.

He and Ken never mentioned them anymore, but they both knew the other thought of them practically everyday. 

Aya suddenly realized that he had been falling for way too long. He should have been dead already. Perhaps he had already smashed his head, and he hadn't felt it. His brains had spilled across the floor, and the rest of KB were too busy to notice.

He cautiously opened his eyes again. 

He was still alive.

Something had broken his fall. 

Or at least, it has slowed him down.

Had he fallen into a net of sorts? What the hell was going on? He stared around him, taking note of the crisscrossed strands of something all around him. It almost looked as if it were…

…wire?

Before he could process his current situation further, he had been lowered into a pair of outstretched arms.

"Gotcha…"

-----*-----

Oh yeah.. Who votes for an Omake version?? I've already made the omake version of this prologue… And where should I put it? Another fic? After each chapter? Please do suggest…

omiclones@hotmail.com 


	2. Chapter One

Okay! I said two to three months, right? Well, you guys are ALL in luck!! Everyone!! Go and thank **Kasra** to all the high heavens!! Thanks to her, I was able to watch Glühen's ending, my facts are now straight, and I could write these next few scenes with much better ease than before!! Go… Bow down and worship her… NOW!! That's an _ORDER_!!!

I no longer hate what happened to Yohji. I hated it when I heard the rumor and made my own assumptions… Remember the wine? I thought he took it, which pissed me off to the deep end. I have been enlightened. (HE DIDN'T TAKE IT!! A BUILDING JUST FELL ON HIS HEAD!! WOOHOO!!) I no longer mind; what made me crazier was Omi's ending with what he said to Yuushi (though I was still like… *__* Omi… I worship you… *heart heart*). 

These new facts about Yohji work better for me than before XD

Please tell me someone else cried in episode 10 with what Omi told Weiss in the mission room and with Aya's last words in the last episode. I feel so weird that I did. My sister scoffed at me and everything. Though that could be because she hates anime in all its forms. 

The Side B names are accurate. And I've decided to slap a 'Side B AU' label onto this, just in case. I mean, who knows how Side B ends up after all. Although sempai's sister had theories that this fic actually _predicts_ how Side B would go O.o *has weird images of Koyasu going through fics on FF.net and selecting which one would become the real story*

I should really get on with it, shouldn't I? BTW, before you read the omake ver that I left at the bottom I recommend you write down your thoughts/comments for the chapter itself already, because they could get lost in the fray O.o Comment about the chapter and the omake separately please.

Chapter 1

"Darling, could you please pass me the paper?"

"Hm?" he looked up, a somewhat bewildered look on his face as he held today's newspaper and a pair of scissors in his hands.

A gasp escaped the woman's lips, "Please don't tell me you're cutting out the front page articles! I haven't read them yet!!"

There was a bit of silence. Finally, he smiled weakly as he lifted the paper to show her that indeed he had. She cried out in exasperation as she stood and took the paper and scissors from his hands. "Don't tell me this is for your scrapbook _again_!"__

"Um… we~ll"

"Dear…" 

He looked up from his work to glance at the woman standing before him. She was beautiful, not devastating, yet she was an elegant beauty. Her dark hair was tied low and rather unkempt, though it was in a tidy bun on the first day he had met her. She wore the white outfit of a nurse, with a dark blazer. Her eyes were narrowed, which he should have probably been scared of, but instead it made him chuckle inwardly.

This woman was Itou Asuka… His wife.

Asuka's face changed from irritation and instead, she sighed exasperated. She gestured to what he was doing. "God… Please tell me _why_ you insist on keeping those?"

He sighed in return, putting down his hands and glancing at the picture he had just relieved from the current newspaper.

"I'm talking to you! Are you listening?"

"I…" he blankly looked at her. "I don't know why I'm collecting these… but…"

"Then we should…"

"… but I can't help it. Asuka… Every time I see the things I have in that scrapbook, they tug something in my head. I don't know what the hell it is, but it's… familiar."

He stared at the picture a little more, then winced and held a hand to his head. It always hurt like that every time he tried to remember something.

"Really. You shouldn't strain yourself so much remembering," she took his hand and rubbed it softly. "The doctors all said that it was such a miracle that you even woke up at all!"

He was silent, idly fingering his scrapbook, listening to her words, even though he had heard them many times before. He waited patiently for her to finish, before murmuring his response.

"… Asuka… I know you tell me not to worry… But…" he stared out the window for a moment. "It's… strange… not knowing who the hell you are.

"… It hurts my head every time I try to remember, but… I always wonder who the hell I am. I don't remember a thing before now. Every time I try to, it's all… just a blank."

He trailed off, still staring out the window.

"A man with no identity? No past? I wonder if I ever even wanted to be like this."

Finally, a hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up to Asuka's smiling face. 

"I understand. I wish for you to remember as well. But, please, don't try too hard. If it comes back, it will." A quick glance to the clock made her pull back her hand again as she fixed her hair. "I need to go, now, darling."

"Aa. Of course," he nodded. "Are you doing the night shift again tonight?"

"Yes, dear." She leaned down and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Kojirou is still sick, so I need to take his place again. You should go off to work as well. I don't want to hear you were late." 

He chuckled. "Of course. I'll be gone in a moment."

With another soft smile, Asuka left. He smiled as well, glad to have been so lucky as to find someone like her after he had awoken. From what he had heard, he had been badly hurt, perhaps near death, when he was found. 

That was nearly a year ago. Only one year that he could remember.

Asuka was with him every step of the way. He grew to love her, and he married her. They were more of best friends than lovers, yet he was perfectly fine with the relationship they shared. 

Yet… Though he was happy, he also felt a dark void in his life. In this void fell his past, all the memories that no longer came to him.

There were small things. Small details in his life that seemed to come back to him, yet they disappeared once he thought he had a grasp of them. And almost all of these came with those headaches.

The headaches were lessening now, but then, perhaps that was because he wasn't trying as hard as he used to. It was hopeless. Everyone told him it was. And he was slowly starting to believe them.

But… There were days… days like these, that he couldn't help but try to remember. He liked to tell himself that he should stop, that he was happy with his life now, that considering how he was found, maybe he was better off with this life.

And after he thought that, there would always be that feeling, deep inside, that he wasn't home. That he needed to go home to someone else. Three someone els-…

He stopped, eyes a bit wide, but before he could grasp the thought, it had disappeared again, replacing itself with yet another migraine. He cringed and grasped his forehead. 

What had he been thinking? Going home. That was right. 

There was that feeling that someone was waiting for him. He didn't know who, or even how many. 

He had a vague idea though. The idea that was contained in his scrapbook.

He frowned as he scanned the news article he had just snipped from the paper. The black and white picture revealed a young man, probably not much younger than he was himself, smiling for the cameras. The man had soft eyes and dark hair, yet seemed to hold an air of burden and responsibility upon his shoulders.

He knew not why, but as he gazed at that picture, and at every other picture he had of that same man, it would happen. In a split second, before the headache could kick in, a hazy image would draw itself from the back of his mind. 

In the image was a teenaged boy, whirling around, bright eyes wide with shock and reprimand as he reached up to adjust the cap resting on his dark blonde hair. A scowl was on the boy's face and he was saying something to someone else. Someone at the doorway, moving quickly, playing maybe? There were many other people around… Chatting? Laughing? 

He, on the other hand, would find himself looking around, trying to search for another familiar face, almost wanting to find it. 

And there it was, hiding in shadows. And before he could approach it, everything would vanish. Vanish into a very well-known pain.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand how the person in his scrapbook, the famous, seemingly very important person made him think of this bright ray of sunshine, and the whole place that came with him. Hell, the boy, the door, the shadow, and all the other people, even seemed to be surrounded by flowers in each scene. 

Was it a memory? Or just a delusion? He wasn't supposed to have any memories, the doctors kept telling him. Yet, why did these pictures make him think of this boy, these people, this scene… People and places that he had not met and not seen since he woke up?

He fingered the headline, reading mentally what was written.

"Takatori Mamoru, newly appointed Minister of Justice."

-----*-----

He whistled a small tune to himself. It had no concrete melody, yet it pleased him, so he whistled it all the same.

It was eight in the evening. Since his wife was to be off much later, he decided to have dinner out before going back, not being a very good cook himself. On the other hand, it was still early, so after dinner, he decided to go for a stroll to pass the time.

He had no route planned; his main goal was just to eventually arrive back at the Itou residence. He let his mind wander a little, knowing that his feet would eventually lead him home.

He was walking down a park path, taking a detour. He turned onto a less busy street and continued down the sidewalk.

He paused for a moment and glanced to the side.

There was a small shop, in the process of closing down. However, the shutters were still up, and the lights still on. He skimmed the area with his eyes. He realized with slight surprise that he had found a flower shop. He watched as the workers inside puttered about, making the last preparations.

He smiled a little to himself. It would be nice to get some flowers for Asuka. He was sure she would like them.

Finally, he made his decision, checked his wallet, and stepped right in.

As he entered the small shop, a sudden wave of nostalgia washed over him. He gazed at the merchandise, taking in the colors and varieties of flowers. Why did the place make him feel this way? He wondered if there was any connection between it and his lost past. 

Pain seeped in momentarily and he winced. It seemed the gods still did not want him to understand.

"Ah!" a brown-haired young man in a blue apron, who had been fixing something in the back, dropped what he was doing and came forward. "Um… I'm sorry sir, but it's a little late. We're closing already."

He glanced at the florist and managed a smirk at the prospect of a man working at a flower shop. He wondered temporarily about the boy's sexual orientation before responding.

"Surely you have enough time for just one more customer? The flowers are for my wife. Would it really take that long? I don't think it'll even take a few minutes."

The boy paused, considering what the other had said. He was frowning though; he just wanted to throw the older man out so they could finally finish up for the night.

Before he could do as he watched, a girl suddenly came forward. "What's going on here?"

"This guy wants to buy flowers…" the boy said bluntly.

"Hm?" she paused to glance at him. She was a little pretty, with long bluish-black hair, held in a low ponytail down her back. She smoothed out her apron and smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid we're closing now. Normally we'd be glad to make an arrangement for you but…"

"Ah! No need," he shook his head. "Actually, I don't really need a bouquet. I just thought I could buy a few flowers to put in a vase for her. Something she can wake up to… or something to come home to."

The two workers looked at each other momentarily. The young brunette seemed to not want to agree, but the girl gave him a stern look and he sighed, "All right, all right."

She smiled, and leapt a little, and ran in to pick out some random flowers. It didn't take long and soon enough, she came back, presenting their customer with the chosen stems.

He blinked at the flowers, then slowly shook his head. "No."

The girl's eyes widened. "N-no?"

"I'm sorry, but… Well… These flowers are all wrong…"

"Wr-wrong?" she looked at them, as if trying to see what was the problem.

"No, no, no! The flowers themselves are beautiful, but… the meaning isn't quite what I'd like.

She glimpsed at the flowers, before turning her head up toward him again. "Meaning?"

"Yes, the meaning…" He frowned and pointed at one of the flowers, "This means 'dangerous beauty'. If my wife knew that, I think that she might not like it. And these pinks mean 'fickleness'. I doubt I'd like to say that about her. And what's more," he shook his head. "These ones signify mourning."

He sighed, though managed to smile at the last few flowers. "These could be fine."

"The white camellias?" the girl asked politely.

"Yes. Perfect loveliness," then he shook his head. "Still, it's not what I'm looking for." He scanned the shelves and finally pointed. "Those white roses."

"Don't you want the red ones?" the boy asked, frowning impatiently.

"But, red is so common! It's been overused. And besides, the whites mean innocence." He smiled. "As well as sincerity, purity, and silent love."

The girl giggled a little. "It sounds wonderful!"

"And I'll also take these."

"The lily of the valley?"

"For sweetness and humility." He glanced at the flowers, then nodded. "Yes, I think these are perfect."

The boy took down the flowers, sighing with relief as he brought them to the counter. He left to do other things, as his companion rang them up, and accepted the payment.

"Thank you," a smile was on their customer's face as he took the flowers. He was about to turn and leave, when the girl sighed.

"Something wrong?"

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing." She smiled at him, "It's just that… You remind me of someone I knew."

"Really?" 

She nodded. "It's too bad we've never met before."

He smiled and nodded as well. "Well, it was nice meeting you now then."

"un!" Her smile widened, reaching into her eyes. "Good night, sir."

"Good night."

-----*----

He was lost.

Somehow, he had taken a wrong turn somewhere after he had left that flower shop. From that, he tried to get himself back on track, and only ended up getting even more lost.

For now, he found himself in the business district. The rich part of the city. 

Well, perhaps, it wasn't a bad place to get lost in. He turned a little, taking in all the sights. It was an attractive place, and perhaps he could find some landmarks.

He looked all around him, gaping in awe at skyscrapers, fancy restaurants, and even a five-star hotel. He did a double take. There seemed to be a celebration going on. Or perhaps it had already ended. There was a large crowd, and flashing lights. It was just like a movie premiere. 

He turned the other way, and stared at the rows of limousines parked along the walk. His jaw dropped a little, his eyes wide with awe, just continuing to walk, yet not tearing his eyes away. His vision rested on one particular limo. It was a relatively newer one, more gorgeous than the others, and maybe sleeker. 

He resumed his gait, ignoring the crowd as he admired the car. He was examining it with his eyes, assessing every part of it. He had barely imagined himself to be inside, enjoying the ride when he thought, _Nah… I'd rather be driving my car myself. And besides, a convertible might be-…_

"Oof!"

"Ah!"

He stepped back and groaned. It was wonderful that he managed to run smack into someone in this part of town. He supposed he really wasn't watching where he was going. 

"Oh, sorry," the polite voice spoke.

He nodded and glanced at the one in front of him, before looking over his flowers to see if they were fine. "Yeah, I'm sorry, too, chibi…"

The words tumbled out of his mouth before he was even able to think about them. For a moment, time just seemed to stop.

The man he had collided with stared at him, "……What did you call me?"

He stared in horror at what he had just done. Here he was, in a rich part of town, in front of some fancy hotel, having just bumped into an important-looking person who was just about to enter a dark limousine.

And he had called the man _chibi_.

_Oh the disgrace and shame! _his mind screamed at him. _What is wrong with you?! And what are you doing just _standing_ there?!_

"I-I'm sorry!" he stammered. "I- I don't know what came over me! It just slipped out and I didn't even realize. I am so sorry, sir! I really am… Wh-what I meant to say was… Well.. You're.. you're not a chibi after all, you're a chibi bishounen! Oh wait… I mean… You're really just… not a chibi, are you?"

The man watched him as he babbled, almost incoherently. Finally he turned away, a small smile playing on his pale lips.

He spoke, his voice soft, almost a whisper in wonder.

"I guess you really will never change, Yohji-kun."

Time stopped again.

He froze, yet his heart was suddenly racing. He felt as if he had just run a marathon for three days. He couldn't breathe. 

But before he could even put a coherent thought together, he was interrupted.

There was another young man with them, with dark hair that almost covered half his face. The boy glanced at him before turning to his employer. "Shall we be leaving, Mamoru-sama?"

Mamoru-sama? He blanched. _Mamoru_-sama??

"Yes, yes, in a moment," Mamoru murmured as he stepped away. He took one last glance at the man behind him before entering the limousine.

He needed to do something. He needed to stop the politician. But his voice was still not working right. "Wait… W-wait!!" he cried hoarsely. "T-takatori-san!"

And something snapped. His mind was suddenly flooded with questions. Questions he wanted to ask. Questions that he _should _ask. 

Who am I? 

_Who are _you_? _

_Why the _hell _do you know me?_

_Yohji-kun? _

_Is that what you called me? _

_Yohji?_

_Is that my real name?_

He tried to step forward, maybe to grab him, to demand answers, to plead, but the young man from before had already raised a hand. Before he knew it, there was a group of men that had surrounded him, blocking his path before he could reach the politician.

He was helpless, unable to do anything as he watched the limo door close and Mamoru disappear from his sight. The bodyguards moved away and moved out, but he wasn't able to react as they had disappeared as well, and the car was put into drive.

It moved away from the curb, leaving him there, his head still a jumble of confusion.

One thought, however, reigned through his mind.

Takatori Mamoru knew him.

-----*-----

Let me just say HOW DIFFICULT THAT WAS!!! ____ Not the plot, not the scenes… Just one minor DETAIL!!

Now that we're done with that…… You can skip this if you want, if you find it pointless and so forth… just press 'end' to hit bottom for the review button. Unless you don't want to review ;_;

Anyway, I present

_The Lost Kittens Omake_

_Prologue Cut_

[Aya is plummeting to his death]

**Aya:** Oh… Look… I'm going to die… again…

**Ken:** AYA!!

**Weiss Script Writers:** HEY! You're only allowed to yell Omi's name, remember??

**Ken:** … Oh right, pretend I'm distracted then… Wait a minute, you broke that rule in the _last_ installment!!

**Weiss Script Writers:** Oh yeah…

**Glühen Script Writers:** [blow raspberries at them] HAH!

**Aya: **…… What is this, the nth time I die already? … I've lost count…

**Yuki:** [over radio] Isn't anyone going to save him?

**Free:** …

**Michel: **Um… I don't think I can carry him…

**Chloe: **He's a guy… I just don't save guys…

**Ken+Yuki:** @_@

**Akagawa: **HAH! Now Allison will be _mine_!!

**Yuki:** [yells] You're supposed to be dead!!!

**Akagawa: **… Oh right… [promptly dies]

**Aya:** I'm waiting for my life to flash before my eyes………

[some time passes]

**Aya:** ……… It's not working…

**???: **That's because I will save you!! [jumps into scene, poses and cues Tuxedo Kamen theme!]

[everyone stares at ??? in horror]

**Aya:** ………… I'd rather plummet to my death…****

[??? poses and holds out arms to catch Aya]****

**???: **OOF!!****

[Aya falls ON ???]

**Ken:**…… Wasn't there supposed to be a web of wire or something?

**???:** ……Oops…

**Aya:** Baka… 

**???:** Sh! Don't say who I am, it's supposed to be a secret!!

**Ken:** Huh? Isn't it obvious who you are? 

**???:** -.- Just play along, Hidaka!!

**The rest of KB: **-___________-

Meh, that was strange and slightly pathetic… Oh well… Comments are more than welcome…

omiclones@hotmail.com 


	3. Chapter Two

**Kasra: **Hm. I have a feeling you'll be slightly disappointed in something I'm going to do. But that's several chapters from now and I'm not gonna change it because I love the way it came out.

**A Spell:** Yes… *glomps THAT Mamoru*

**Chrysophrase: ***points up for links* And I'm using the 'they used to look like the old designs, but now look like the Glühen designs' style. So, Yohji _used_ to be long-haired, and Omi _used_ to be blonde. 

**Tet:** Hello, sempai-ni-sempai. ^^ 

So sorry I took so long but Side B is disagreeing with me @_@. See my plan for the diverging point of this and Side B is right after the mission in chapter 2, but incorporating all the flashbacks that occur after. Damn latest chapter filled in the three plot holes I planned to use… Oh well. I get to try to poke more holes in the plot. Looks like LK isn't predicting Side B after all…

_Chapter 2_

When he arrived back home late in the evening, his mind was still in a whirl. He couldn't think straight. And every time he even _tried_ to think straight, everything twisted around again. 

It was horrid. How could that one statement make him feel this way?

_Yohji-kun._

_He called me Yohji-kun._

It took a very long time before he fell asleep, much so that he was still slightly awake when he felt someone slip into the bed beside him. He estimated it to be about midnight then. He moved a little closer and put an arm around Asuka. With her beside him, he let thoughts of Takatori Mamoru and his possible past leave him and sleep overcame him a bit easier.

He awoke again at the sound of ringing. Asuka stirred and she got up, picking up the phone, "Hai, Itou Asuka desu."

He groaned a little. It was obviously another emergency. He managed to peek at the digital clock on Asuka's side of the bed. 4:28 AM. It was still dark. It was inhuman to wake someone at that time. 

Asuka hung up the phone and began to slip out of the bed again. He gently took her wrist.

"I have to go."

"Don't."

"I'm sorry, but they need me."

"You've only had four hours of sleep."

"This is more important than sleep. And I can nap when I get home." She smiled softly, "Don't worry. I won't be gone long. Just go back to sleep."

_Go back to sleep. _

His eyes widened as a sudden flash hit him. It was hazy but it seemed familiar. There was another face looking at him in the darkness as he held onto a slender wrist. Dark hair and soft eyes. A mole under her left eye. A soft, gentle voice.

_"It's okay. Just go back to sleep. I'll be back later."_

It dissolved. A new face watched him sternly, maybe irritated. This one was just a little clearer. Maybe it wasn't as dark. Maybe it was more recent. Were these even memories or more illusions? But he could still feel the thin wrist in his hand as he looked up at this face. He saw auburn (or red?) hair and piercing eyes, though they looked at him with slight softness.

_"Baka. Let go. Go back to sleep."_

"Are you all right?"

He blinked. Everything disappeared and Asuka's face came back into view. She looked at him worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

"I… I'm fine… Yes… You… you go on… I'll just… go… back to sleep…"

"I knew you'd understand," she kissed him softly and quietly left the room.

He stared after her, then turned over. He closed his eyes, but the faces haunted him. He tried to conjure them up again, but they wouldn't come. They were already hazy in his mind. 

_Go back to sleep…_

He closed his eyes, even though he realized that it was going to take quite some time before he could fall asleep again.

-----*-----

When he awoke again the next morning, he had a headache. He knew it was from lack of sleep, and he wanted to just stay in bed and sleep for the rest of the day. But unfortunately, he had work, and he knew Asuka would disapprove if he missed work today.

He also knew the headache was from the events of the previous night. First, the young Takatori calling him a name he didn't know, and then those two faces he had seen. The headaches came late this time. Or maybe it was because earlier that morning he had only been half-conscious and now he found himself thinking, trying to remember. The worst part was, he couldn't remember the faces anymore. He cursed the gods that were playing with him.

Asuka had left him something he supposed he could call breakfast. He reminded himself to thank her later. He found the flowers he had bought the previous night and sought out a vase to put them in. He set the arrangement in the middle of the table and smiled to himself. 

He held his head again, then moved for a bathroom to get some aspirin. 

-----*-----

"Itou-san! How are you today?"

"I could be better," he chuckled weakly before entering. He paused to wave at everyone who greeted him, but didn't stay to chat. He had something to do. He needed to find his employer for a little request.

It had hit him that morning. If a Takatori knew him, he might find information on himself if he looked for anything about the Takatoris. Truth be told, he wanted to search as soon as possible. Unfortunately, there was an evil entity known as work. He sighed. So here he was.

"Oi! Itou! About the…"

"Sorry, not now. Is the boss in?"

"Sure, he's right in his office."

"Aa."

He walked in further, looking for that office. He found himself at the door and knocked. The man inside allowed him to go in.

"Ah! Itou! Come in, come in!"

He raised an eyebrow at his boss, who was beaming proudly. He settled into a chair, "Um… Sir…"

"Yes, I was about to look for you! I wanted to talk to you about the report you sent in last week!"

"Sir, actually I'd like to ask if-…"

"The report about the discrepancies in the other departments. I was thinking…"

"But sir! I…"

"You solved a lot of problems, did you know? We're rearranging everything according to what you wrote. It was excellent work!"

"But I wanted to ask for-…"

"You have a good eye for spotting details. We're letting go of some of those slobs. In fact, I think we can find you a position so you can better supervise the-…"

"That would be nice but-…"

"You're good at this! The management! The paradigm shifts! The employees! The attention to det-…"

"Sir! I would like to ask for a day off!!" he finally yelled.

This caught the man off guard. "A… a day off?"

He tried to calm himself again, "Yes. A day off. As soon as possible."

"Ah… er… well…" His employer looked surprised. "Well, I suppose we can let you off for a day. Consider it a sort of reward for the service. Perhaps tomorrow?"

He breathed in relief. "Yes. That would be perfect."

"But when you come back, I would like to discuss  your-…"

But the employee had already bowed to him, "That is all, sir. Thank you."

And he exited quickly to start work, leaving his boss gaping. The sooner he began, the sooner he can end.

-----*-----

By the time he arrived home later that evening, Asuka was already in and cooking. She told him that she had gotten back early and had been able to nap like she promised him. As soon as he sat down to wait for dinner, he had launched into his tale of the humiliation that he had experienced the night before.

"It was no wonder he looked familiar." He gripped his mug tightly, tempted to bang it against the dinner table. "I just HAD to bump into Takatori Mamoru, himself. The god be damned Minister of _Justice. And I called him _chibi_!! Damnit… I wouldn't be surprised if some men in black suits arrived to cart me off to the Tokyo Penitentiary at this very moment!"_

"I don't think I'd go that far," Asuka said, as she set down some food. "He seems to be a very nice young man. And he has a very nice smile. I doubt he'd send you to prison just because of one minor mistake."

"I guess not," he frowned. 

She sat down at the table and clasped her hands together in thought. "Honestly, darling, I'm a little envious that you were able to see him face to face."

After he raised an eyebrow, she laughed a little, "Don't get me wrong. I still think it's ridiculous for you to keep those pictures of him, but still, Takatori Mamoru san is very famous in Japan today. Everyone says he's brilliant, and he has been doing a remarkable job. When he was appointed Minister of Justice yesterday, not everyone was surprised. And at such a young age as well! Twenty-one, isn't it? Even members of the Diet are required to be at _least _twenty-five!" 

She sighed. "I suppose we should have expected nothing less of the Takatoris, with the history that they've had."

He nodded absently, still rattled by his memories. Then suddenly, he straightened.

Asuka paused in what she was saying, "Is something wrong?"

"He called me something. He knew me." He glanced up at her, his face a little white. "He called me 'Yohji-kun'."

"Yohji-kun?" Asuka gasped. "Did… did he really call you that?"

"I don't think I heard him wrong."

"Do you…" her mind raced over the possibility. "Do you suppose it's your real name?"

"I… don't know. My head hurts every time I think about it. Maybe it is."

Though he knew deep inside, it felt a little right. Yohji… Yohji…

"Then… Yohji, it is?" Asuka laughed a little. "I suppose it would be difficult to get used to your new name, but… Right. Yohji, it is."

Yohji looked up at her, and smiled in return. Yes. It did feel right. 

They continued to eat dinner in silence, where he allowed himself to get lost in thought. Yohji. Itou Yohji? He chuckled softly. It sounded odd, that was for sure. He supposed that he should start looking for his real surname as well.

Then he remembered. That was right. He was going to continue looking the next day. He glanced up at Asuka and decided to use this to break the silence. "I have the day off tomorrow."

Asuka seemed surprised. "I didn't hear about this."

"I asked for the day off, actually." Yohji was staring straight before him. "Asuka, if Takatori Mamoru knows me, I want to find out everything I can about him. Maybe… maybe I can find a connection between him and my past."

She looked down for a moment, then she nodded. "Yes. That sounds right." She smiled, "Isn't this wonderful, darling? You finally have a lead of some sort."

"Yeah…" he looked beside him, at the scrapbook he had kept for some time. "I guess I do."

-----*-----

" 'Takatori Mamoru was appointed Minister of Justice today. The celebration will be held later tonight at…' " Yohji trailed off, frowning. "That's where I bumped into him."

"Perhaps it was fate?" Asuka looked up from what she was reading herself. 

He shrugged. He wasn't one for fate, but it just may have been so. Either that, or he was right that someone up there was making fun of him.

He and Asuka were at the local library to look for clues on Yohji's past. Asuka had exchanged shifts with a co-worker so she could help him for at least the morning. They were currently at the newspaper morgue, trying to find anything that mentioned Takatori Mamoru and taking down names and facts about him to look up in other articles.

" 'Takatori Mamoru believed to be a candidate for a position as a Minister.' " Yohji shook his head. "These articles are too recent. Maybe we should go back further." 

"Already am. This one mentions his father."

"Hm?" He glanced up as she read aloud.

"Takatori Mamoru is the youngest son of former Prime Minister Takatori Reiji, yet he is the new head of the zaibatsu. He is believed to be the next in running for a position in the parliament. When asked about the matter, Takatori-san gave no comment."

She sighed, "He didn't just end up in the parliament… but in the Ministry itself! And not even of legal age to be in the diet."

"Amazing," he mumbled, and couldn't help thinking that it was the most proper word to describe the young man.

Asuka nodded, "It dates back to about the same time you arrived at the hospital. What do you think?"

"Takatori Reiji?" Yohji was surprised at how he had snarled the name. 

His companion seemed not to notice, and merely nodded again,  "His father, yes."

"…… Look for more about Takatori Reiji. I'll keep working on the son."

They both continued to work in silence. He scanned through more newspapers, finding more of Takatori Mamoru's achievements. Most of them dealt with crime and justice. Probably why he was chosen for that particular ministry. He wondered for a moment if he'd end up like his father, as a prime minister. Then he thought of something.  

"Odd isn't it? That the youngest son inherited the zaibatsu. Isn't it usually the eldest?"

Asuka didn't look up. "Perhaps he was a favorite?"

Somehow it sounded far from true. "No, I don't think so. Maybe we should try to find more about the other sons."

As if on cue, Asuka responded, "Here…… Oh how awful!"

He paused to listen again.

"Newly appointed Prime Minister dies in fire. Takatori Reiji, unanimously voted as Japan's next prime minister, was killed in a fire barely a day after his rise to the position. The fire was said to have been caused by a terrorist grou-…"

"… He was gutted. On the roof."

Asuka paused, "Did you say something?"

"Huh?" Yohji turned to her, then chuckled softly. "I did? Oh sorry. Go on." 

She hesitated, gazing at him in concern before she continued, "Brother Takatori Shuichi, Chief of Police, died as well. Though it was believed that the police chief is the man behind the terrorist attacks that had plagued Tokyo, he was caught in the same fire that killed his brother."

There was a soft sarcastic laugh. "… He was shot in the chest."

Asuka paused again, seemingly worried. "Darling, are you all right?"

"Hm? I'm fine…" It was white lie. Somehow his head had started hurting again. but he decided not to tell her that.

"…… How do you… know these?"

He smiled weakly. "I… don't know? It's just something that came to me. It's not like it's true, is it?"

"I suppose not, but…" she shuddered. "It's a little creepy."

There was more silence. Yohji still hadn't found anything for some time, until Asuka spoke again. " 'Diet member dies in fire'…… It's another Takatori."

He put down his paper, his eyes wide.

"Takatori Masafumi…" Asuka read. "He's the second son of Takatori Reiji. He was also a member of the House of Representatives. It also says he was a genius, performing some researches. He died in a fire in his home after an experiment went wrong. This was some time before his father died."

"Second son… There's an eldest?"

"I suppose so."

"… He's also dead."

Asuka seemed surprised. "How did you know?"

He couldn't answer. He just… knew somehow.

"…Well, it's true. He is. This other article says Takatori Hirofumi was his father's secretary. He died in a car accident on a bridge on the way home from a celebration." 

"So that's what happened." Yohji said absently. His hand reached up, rubbing at his temple. The ache was getting to him. "Is there anything about Takatori Mamoru there in those papers?"

Asuka shook her head. "Nothing at all. Not for some time now. It's like he just suddenly appeared out of nowhere later."

Yohji nodded absently. "… Like he was reborn… from another life." He winced and held a hand to his head. 

"These are terrible. I'd always believed the Takatoris to be a gifted family, with their successes, but now it seems to me that they're cursed."

"Cursed…" Yohji nodded in agreement. "And tainted… using others to meet their own ends… for their own gain…" He clenched his teeth. The pain refused to leave him alone. 

There was some silence. Asuka lowered the paper she was holding, looking worried again. "You're… remembering things… Aren't you?"

"I really have no clue," he responded softly.

"… Dear, I honestly think… that there's a big connection between you and the Takatori Zaibatsu. I think you knew them… Or you used to work for them."

It sounded right. And at the same time it sounded wrong. He didn't know anymore. He didn't know anything anymore. Fantasy merged into reality. Were these memories? Delusions? Was there something up there playing a trick on him like it always had been doing?

He wanted to quit. His head was aching horribly. And at the same time……  

"Asuka… Let's… Let's just keep working."

"… All right."

Yohji murmured his thanks as he scanned the next headline. "Takatori Saijou? Damn, how many of them _are_ there?" 

"They have a long history, darling," Asuka laughed weakly. "I guess you don't know that."

" 'Takatori Saijou announces grandson Mamoru as next in line.' Reiji's father then?"

"Yes, that would seem so. He's retired now."

"Really? Well, I guess we should expect it."

"Yes," she held up the paper she was reading. "He now stays in the Takatori vacation home in Kanazawa. On Mount Utatsu, the property is called Tsukiyono Ca-."

There was a sudden angry flash behind Yohji's eyes. He let out a cry as the pain hit him hard. Asuka gasped, immediately climbing to her feet to go to his side.

Yohji was struggling for breath, his hands clutching at his temples. 

"Darling…… Darling…" Asuka murmured worriedly. "M… Iya……Yohji. Are you all right?"

There were a few more pants as he managed to gasp out.

"Ts-tsu…kiyo…"

"Tsukiyono Castle?" she asked. "Have you been there?"

He began to nod, paused, and shook his head. She didn't seem to understand. In truth, he doubted that he did himself. "… Maybe… But…" he continued to struggle through the pain. "I… I don't think that's it."

"What then?"

"I… ah…  I don't know."

His head throbbed. He hated this. What the hell was with that place? Nothing before hit him this hard. It told him that it was something big. 

"Maybe you should go there," Asuka tried again. "Maybe you'll find something… But…" She looked torn. "It's in Kanazawa… It's not… at least it's not in Fukuoka. Or worse, Okinawa… Still, it's far…"

"……… maybe…" Yohji was still gripping his head. 

Asuka set down her stack of papers, and came closer, kneeling by him. "… Yohji." She still fumbled over the new name, but she refused to stop using it. "Yohji, it's time for me to take my shift. I have to go… If it's really too much, let's stop for today. I'll take tomorrow off. We can come back."

"……… No…" Yohji shook his head. "I'm staying."

"But we've found so much."

He shook his head again. "We found even more questions. No answers. I… I want answers. I want to know why my head hurts with those damn Takatoris… I can't stop now."

Her face revealed her concern but she nodded. "All right. If it means this much to you."

"It does."

"Then… I have to get to the hospital. I wish I didn't have to go; I'd stay with you the whole day if I could… But…" Asuka sighed. "Will you be fine by yourself?" 

There was a weak chuckle. "What worse could happen?"

"Don't jinx yourself," she kissed him softly and straightened. "If you're not home when I get back, I'm coming straight here to help you again."

"You don't have to."

"I want to." 

She gave him a brief hug before gathering up her things.

It wasn't long before she had gone, and Yohji had returned to his work. He tried to look for further information about the older Takatori brothers, Masafumi and Hirofumi, but there was nothing except for politics about Masafumi in the Diet. 

He also couldn't help noticing that it was true. Anything about Takatori Mamoru never came up at all. Yohji expected to at least find his name coming up in articles about his father or his brothers, but there was nothing at all. It was like he didn't even exist before three years ago.

He shook his head. Takatori Reiji was the main key at the moment. It was how he had reacted to the name that made him think that it could give him further leads.

-----*-----

"K'sou…"

Yohji leaned back and groaned. He had searched for an hour now. Despite the earlier frequency of success, it had now dwindled. The best thing that they had come up with (in other words, the story that had given him the worst headache) was still that article that mentioned Tsukiyono Castle. 

However, he was starting to pick up a trail again. He had found a paper, dated some time after the death of that Takatori Reiji, that claimed he had actually been a fraud. It was an opinion article, true, but under it was a list of shady organizations that may or may not have been related to him. 

This was the list he was scanning then. He saw many names, some of them strange, like Creepers and Korin. His eyes narrowed on one. 

Riot.

There were twangs of pain with each name, and Yohji was starting to hope that he wasn't a member of such groups. Riot, however, had hit something in him that he couldn't place. There was something in him that made him want to hate the name, but he didn't know why. He hated it even more when he saw the description. It was an underhanded business group that involved women slavery. 

It infuriated him. It was then that he had decided to find anything about Riot. He had read in the same article that Riot disappeared four years ago, and had dealings for longer than that. The earliest could've been six years. That was the timeframe that Yohji decided to investigate the most. 

He took most from that year and started picking out papers at random. He wanted to see how Riot came to be, and what happened to it.

After a while, he found nothing again. He sighed. He glanced at the next paper. The cover story was about something that had gone wrong in the sports world. Apparently some sort of scandal that had broken the hearts of many fans. He rolled his eyes and began to read.

"Famous J-League goalie, Hidaka-… Ah SHIT!!"

He dropped the paper and reached up, clutching at his head. _K'so… Not again!!_ The migraine that overcame him was just as bad as when Asuka had found the article about Takatori Saijou and Tsukiyono Castle. 

He glanced back at the paper and realized there was a picture that came with the headline. In the black and white picture was a dark-haired teenager, maybe 16 or 17 years old. His eyes widened as he got hit by a sudden flash. 

_"I'm a friend…"_

_"I'm sorry. I… I don't remember."_

It was the same person. Yohji stared at the picture more closely, but as he did, his head began to ache again. He shoved the paper away. But still, it was him. The teenager in the picture was the man he had asked a favor from, so many months before. His hair was messier when they met, was a little longer. But it was the same person. The same person who told him they used to be friends.

_… So… If this name… Then… Then I did know him before._

He shook his head, incredulous. How the hell did he know a J-league star, personally?

He winced, growling as he held his head again. This was giving him a headache again. He hated it all. He hated the pains. He wanted them to go away. He wanted to be able to think without pain hitting him.

But he knew that the forces around didn't want to let him off that easily.

With the intent of distracting himself, he picked up the next paper and read its headline.

" 'Banker's house hit by gas bomb'." he murmured. "An explosion hit the residence of simple banker Fujimiya … A-aaaAAH!!"

He didn't know what happened. Suddenly, he was on the floor. He didn't know how he had ended up down there. Maybe he had even blacked out for a moment.

He sat up again, taking another glimpse at the paper that had done this to him.

_… Fujimiya…_

He climbed back onto the chair, straining to get his mind cleared so he could get back to work. He needed to find something else about Riot.

He continued skimming the headlines, though he couldn't focus very well. What's more, none of the headlines even vaguely mentioned Riot. This went on for some time more, but not for very long. 

Yohji picked up the next paper and froze. He hardly even had time to read this headline, when it was there before him. On the newspaper was a set of two pictures. In one black and white picture was a young man, with long, light-colored hair, pulled back from his face. 

The face…

The face was his own.

Suddenly, the world just got a lot stranger. His mind was swirling. His eyes tried to focus on something. The headline… The headline…

'Two Private Investigators Dead After Shootout'

His eyes went wide. Fear swelled up inside him.

Two private investigators. Dead.

Two pictures.

One of them his. Dead…

_Dead…_

It was joke. Or a mistake. Dead? That was him in the picture. Or someone who looked like him. Everything was blurring. Words. Images. Pictures. Dead. He can't be dead. He was right there. He was alive. Not dead. His head hurt. He could feel it. He wasn't dead. 

He tried to concentrate on names. There were names under the pictures. He looked at the one that was him. No, the one that looked like him. Because he was dead. He couldn't be. He struggled. He pulled up his arm, a pen, the one he used to write notes earlier. Name. Name… He couldn't figure it out. Why the hell did it have to look so damn complicated?? He worked automatically. Copying the strokes. He couldn't even read it straight. He hoped somewhere that he copied it right.

His eyes flicked back unconsciously.

He got up. He gathered everything. A few papers. A notebook. A couple of discs. The room was spinning. It hit him that he wasn't going to make it. He tried anyway. He held his things in his arms. He tried to get to the door.

Somewhere along the way he felt something drop.

The next moment, he felt nothing at all.

-----*-----

I'm sorry. It's long. But then, it's been a while since we updated this, so I guess it kinda compensates. I don't know if you guys liked this chapter very much, but personally, I found it so much fun to write. I rather enjoyed going back to episode scripts and re-watching the show, and looking through Dramatic Precious and such just to get the information accurate. All the reminiscing was loads of fun. 

Anyway… let's move away from depressing things.

Ah wait. Another word of note. When Yohji was looking through the articles on Hidaka Ken, the Fujimiya couple and then himself, the articles did not necessarily come out in that order. In fact, I have no idea what the real order is. It was never specified when Riot happened to Yohji, when Ken lost his career and when Ran lost his parents. So, Yohji was merely picking out articles at random by that time.

_Lost Kittens Omake _

_Chapter One Cut_

**Yohji: **[snip snip snip]

**Asuka:** YOHJI!! 

**Yohji:** [cuts himself] OW!! [sucks on his finger then stares] Wait… You know my name!!

**Asuka: **Never mind that… Why are you keeping pictures of this man?! Am I not worth anything to you anymore?! Do you have a crush on him?! Do you _love _him?! Are you _gay_?!

**Yohji:** Err… Apparently, 1) this man reminds me of the kid I used to make fun of everyday, but I'm not supposed to remember that; 2) I _do_ love you but I think my brain's messed up right now; 3) No way I have a crush on the chibi! For god's sakes, his hair's just AWFUL! 4) No, I'm in love with someone else… At least… I'm supposed to be… when I remember him; and 5) Actually, it's called 'bisexual.'

**Asuka:** … You're making fun of me…

**Yohji:** That I am… 

**Asuka:** You're mean.

**Yohji:** Let's kiss and make up and have wild hot sex! ^_^

**Riisha:** Ahem… YOTAN!! Where the heck did that come from?! 

**Yohji:** I dunno… You're the writer…

**Riisha:** _ Yotan, you no longer have wild hot sex on the mind…

**Yohji:** _ This memory loss thing is no fun… What's more is I lost my impeccable fashion sense! Take a look at this horrid gray suit!! No taste at all!!

**Asuka:** I think this is my cue to leave. And just so that it's convenient for the writer, this guy happens to be sick so I'm subbing for him.. Giving you plenty of time to wander off, visit strange places that will haunt your memories, and bump into strange, manipulative people from your past.

**Yohji:** What's that supposed to mean?

**Asuka:**  You'll see… [peck cheek] ja!

**Yohji:** _ It's not my day… I should just go to work and angst some more.

[after work]

**Yohji: **[more angst angst angst] Wait… What am I doing? This is Aya's job! Oh lookie! Flower shop! Let's go in, and buy flowers for Asuka! 

**Guy:** We're closing. I'm lazy. Get out.

**Yohji:** [snicker] Oooh… Guy working in flower shop… You're gay, aren't you? … Wait… _I_ used to work in a flower shop! O.O I'm gay too, aren't I?!

**Guy:** I thought you said it's called 'bisexual'.

**Yohji:** Hm… That's right…

**Girl:** I shall rescue you, sir! 

[she and Yohji discuss flowers some more before Yohji leaves with his sale. Later, Yohji has moved to the pretty part of town] 

**Yohji:** Ooohh… Pretty building… Pretty people… Pretty lights… Pretty car… Pretty bishoune- OOF!!

[Yohji and Omi collide with each other]

**Omi: **[looks up] … My name's Mamoru now…

**Riisha:** [mumble] Don't remind me… [louder] No it's not. It's still Omi in my book. 

**Omi:** Oh really? [holds up official looking papers, along with some incriminating hentai KenxOmi drawings he is threatening to show Riisha's sister and family] Note that you like to sign your drawings with your real name AND alias?

**Riisha:** _ Okay! Okay!! [changes the narration]

[Yohji and _Mamoru_ collide with each other]

**Mamoru:** That's better…

**Riisha:** Meh… [goes off and grumbles and angsts]

**Yohji:** Oi!! Chibi! How ya doin?!!

**Mamoru:** ……… -__- You lost your memory.. You're not supposed to remember me…

**Yohji:** Oh right, I keep forgetting…… You're a famous politician, now. [gasps] Oh mai GAWD! I just called some famous politician chibi?! Forget that I used to tease him and give him noogies and all that crap, I just insulted some politician!!

**Mamoru:** [pats] That's okay,  Yohji-kun… it's just a slip that wasn't supposed to happen because you're supposed to not remember me. Or else this chapter wouldn't even be here.

**Yohji:** GAWD! @_@ Now he called me YOHJI-KUN! 

**Mamoru:** Yup! Now you must suffer the torture of wondering who the heck I am!! [cackles madly] You won't know until later that I actually planned this all along!! [more cackling]

**Yohji:** O.o You planned this??

**Mamoru:** Actually, I don't know yet. It just felt like a manipulative bastard thing to say.

**Takatori pawn/Kritiker agent:** Pardon me interrupting your reunion, but I am the convenient plot device that disallows Kudoh from asking further questions about his identity and therefore shortening this fic by two or three chapters.

**Mamoru: **Of course, of course. [cackles more before exiting in a suave, mega-cool way in his sleek black shiny limo]

**Yohji:** [convulsing on the floor while bodyguards stare at him] Wahh… Waaaiitt… Chibi… Takatori… @_@ 

MEH! Pa-the-tic… Anyway… Then again, the plot is in the original… this is just for laughs…

omiclones@hotmail.com 


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